


Like a Bird in a Cage

by Dzuljeta



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, Female Friendship, Implications, Implied Telepathic Bond, Misunderstandings, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romance, Silence, Time Lady Rose
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-09
Updated: 2020-11-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:33:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26381941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dzuljeta/pseuds/Dzuljeta
Summary: The Doctor is convinced it’s best for Rose to stay hidden from Donna.Rose, tired from the Doctor’s shenanigans, stops talking to him altogether. After several weeks of this soundless torment, he changes his mind.
Relationships: Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler
Kudos: 10





	1. Chapter 1

**Like a Bird in a Cage**

**1.**

“Are you even listening to me, Doctor?” Donna Noble was running out of patience. It has been weeks since she could have a proper conversation with the Doctor.

The Time Lord glanced her way, never bothering to ask her whatever it was she wanted to know. Those everyday troubles didn’t feel like something Donna couldn’t deal with on her own. “Why, of course!”

The alien has had a lot of things on his mind and they usually didn’t concern his current companion, who shook her head. “Never mind, Doctor.”

The alien has sent her a thankful look. As usual, he has found a reason to get away from her soon enough.

“See you,” he said dryly, hurrying to some secret place only known to him.

Donna shrugged to herself, reminding herself yet again the Doctor wasn't human and it was completely normal for him to be this aloof.

The next time she saw him, the Doctor's inborn excitement seemed to be completely lost. Much more than that - he was paler than usual, as if ill.

“I don't know what to do,” he told her, sounding panicked. “Do you know anyone with decent knowledge in medicine, by any chance, Donna?”

“You, Doctor?”

He shook his head. “No. My patient needs more professional help than I could give her.”

A  _ patient. _ Donna's eyes widened. Normally, she would have labelled this news as something interesting, however, right now, this sounded downright creepy. She shuddered.

“Have you been attending to the said patient all this time, whenever you have excused yourself?”

“Yes. Could you, or could you not suggest someone who may be able to help?”

The first name on her mind has only frustrated him further. “Martha Jones?”

The Doctor inhaled. “I don't know if she'd be willing to help, knowing why our paths have separated, in the first place.”

“I'm sure it's had something to do with you never shutting up about Rose,” Donna shrugged. “Every sensible person would understand as much.”

The Doctor gulped. “I don't talk about her with you half as often.”

“I wish you did! It doesn't bother me.”

“Do you want to see her? My, my-” He asked Donna brokenly.

The redhead gulped. She should have known mentioning his beloved was supposed to have some strange effect on him. “See her in a photo, you mean?”

The redhead asked with a smile. Having the Spaceman not behaving as his usual jumpy self has long become a norm aboard, but it didn’t mean it wasn’t making her uncomfortable.

The Doctor sighed. 

“Come,” he grabbed her by the hand and led her to… Rose Tyler.

“She doesn't sleep. Doesn't eat. Hardly ever speaks. Much less to people she doesn't know.”

Donna wasn't someone to be frightened easily, only surprised for a second. Of course, she should have expected something like this from him! Bloody alien! She smiled at the girl kindly. Who could say for how long he has been keeping her locked up here? Donna glared at the Doctor, keeping her 

attention on the girl... Rose. Poor thing. How could the Spaceman do something like this? Donna inhaled. She imagined she could make anyone talk.

“Hello, dear! My name's Donna, I'm the Doctor's current companion. What's your name?”

The Doctor was looking at Donna with terror. How could she be so insensitive?

Then, Rose turned to Donna. “Hi. I'm Rose. I'm his wife. He doesn't remember this bit and keeps treating me as if I were delusional-”

“Hey. That’s the Spaceman’s way of dealing with things he’s not comfortable with. You shouldn’t worry-”

Rose gulped. “Not accepting the truth until it’s staring him in the face. Sometimes, not even then. Sounds just like him. Whatever has happened? Why are you here? With company, even?”

Donna Noble understood this unexpected meeting was going to shed some new light on everything, for everyone. But some realisation has stopped the redhead from giving her all kinds of necessary questions.

”Have we met before?” The redhead inhaled, realising she remembered the girl from somewhere.

“No idea,” Rose said. “Travels in time and among worlds can get awfully complicated.”

The Doctor was amazed. ”What have you done? How come she’s talking to you as if you were her best friend?”

“I don’t treat her as you do. To me, she’s but a stranger. A person, like everybody else. To you, she’s like an expensive bird in a cage. Has it ever crossed your mind she may not like it?” 

Rose shook her head. “It's all right. We have gone through so much together… it’s unfair for anyone to judge him for trying to keep me safe.”

“Yes, but-”

“You don’t understand. Can’t understand. Nobody can.”

The Doctor grabbed Rose by the hand, addressing Donna. “We have been brutally separated, Not once. Not twice. It seemed the entire universe has wanted for our paths to never cross again.”

“That is, until we realised why this was happening,” Rose said quietly, sending the Doctor a questioning look.

Donna looked at them curiously. “Why was that?”

“Our, well, er… cultural differences.” 

“Cultural differences?” The wild companion was incredulous. Hasn’t the Spaceman been the one into appreciating different cultures? It was clear he wasn't saying something. 

“Don’t play clever with me, Doctor. I have been travelling with you for long enough to see when you want to keep things from me. What have you done?”

Rose inhaled. “The Doctor, he’s afraid for me for a reason.”

"Rose-” He began with a warning.

Donna glared at the alien. “What? Is she secretly your slave? Your sex toy?”

The Time Lord paled. “No!”

“I won’t have her hidden here for another second, just because you think it's best! If necessary,  _ I’ll  _ hide her away from you,” Donna spoke passionately.

Rose beamed at them both. “Surely, now your friend knows I exist, I can move back into my room?”

The Doctor gulped.  _ I thought we- you keep saying- _

Rose wasn’t giving in.  _ For you, I am but a child with silly illusions. Until you decide to free your locked memories, I won’t do anything a bonded couple can. Try to treat me as if I were human, if it’s simpler for you, yes? _

Donna smiled at the fair-haired girl supportively. “Whatever happens, I’m on your side, dear.” She could almost see the young girl’s disillusionment and sadness shining on her face. The redhead couldn’t allow that.

Rose smiled at her, but her mind has been elsewhere. What if the Doctor was going to keep his memories about their

happy, or so it felt at the time, hours as a couple buried deep inside his mind for good?

The girl understood it has been a very likely scenario. But spending another day hidden away from the world, even if only to keep the Doctor's anxieties away… This way of protecting her from harm was never going to work out, he shouldn’t have thought it could.

_ I’m sorry,  _ she sent him. 

The Doctor blinked at her, puzzled.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, the Flufftober is over! Please, remind me to never work on daily prompts again. :( I keep making the same mistake.

**Previously…**

_ But spending another day hidden away from the world, even if only to keep the Doctor's anxieties away… This way of protecting her from harm was never going to work out, he shouldn’t have thought it could. _

I’m sorry _ , she sent him.  _

_ The Doctor blinked at her, puzzled. _

**Like a Bird in a Cage**

**2.**

“You have nothing to be sorry for, Rose,” he said quietly.

“I should have understood your wish to protect me at all costs has come from your fear to be left alone.”

The Doctor inhaled. “To be alone is nothing. To be without you is something I couldn’t take.”

“Yet keeping me locked away aboard is another matter entirely for you?”

He blushed. “I want you safe. The harmful things that may accidentally happen for a jeopardy-friendly being like you are endless!”

Donna cleared her throat. “This is sick, Doctor.  _ Anything  _ could happen to either of us at any second, just the same! Keep her close, watch over her, share a room, for God’s sake! Just don’t treat her as if she were your hidden possession any longer!”

The Doctor gulped. “I-”

“Come, Doctor,” Rose grabbed him by the hand. The Time Lord was too amazed to object. Now that she was close enough for him to hear her double heartbeat, he eyed her apologetically. “I’m sorry, Rose. So, so sorry! Please, promise me you won’t ever stop talking to me again, whenever I begin acting like an idiot!!”

“You have never stopped being one,” Rose said quietly.

“Oh, Rose-” The Doctor was out of words fitting to express his joy about her talking to him again. His lips found hers, as if in apology.

Rose sent him an understanding look and shook her head.

_ No, Rose! Not again! Please, I'm begging you! _

The companion has resumed the kiss instead.

The Doctor's eyes lit up. “My Rose.”

_ Doctor… _

“I promise this won’t ever happen again! I swear it!”

“What won't happen?” Rose asked him, wanting to hear it again.

“You are and have always been free to move around the TARDIS. Remember that! I am going to ask the old girl to remove the place you have been staying at and to remove every trace of it.”

She inhaled. “Just so you could pretend you have never hidden me aboard? Are you sure it’s necessary? Better ask the TARDIS what she thinks of it.”

The Doctor was surprised. “Do you mean you’d like to keep it as a reminder of my, well-”

“A reminder of  _ my  _ empty days without you. Always hoping you would remember. Would return. Would take me back, would- yet there you are, only deciding to allow me to feel free on board again because a companion has told you to!”

Rose gulped. 

The Doctor could understand her reasoning. “I have been a fool! Please, forgive me!”

She inhaled. “Tough!”

_ Please? I'll do anything, Rose.  _

“We won't be able to understand each other properly, until your memories of our… union return to you, Doctor,” she whispered.

Rose understood the return of those incredibly pleasant memories may only make the Doctor blame himself more, but there was no way back.  _ I'm sorry,  _ she sent him.

The Doctor blinked at her. Once more, she was apologising for something.

_ I am the only one here who should be sorry, Rose! _

She sighed, knowing he was right. “Yes, but-”

“No buts, love. I owe you everything. Every single of those days you have spent locked up just because of me!”

“He's right, you know,” Donna's voice could be heard nearby. “Had something like that been done to me, I'd be asking for something in return! For God's sake, Doctor, you could have driven her mad! Have you ever asked Rose how she has been feeling? Lonely, abandoned. Am I right, dear?”

Rose shrugged. “Would you mind not addressing sensitive topics?”

Donna blushed, ashamed. “Not my business. I get it.”

“Sorry. I just can't talk about it right now.”

The redhead nodded. “Of course. I am the intruder here.”

“Don't say that!”

Donna sent Rose a curious smile. “You don't know about the Doctor's previous companion deciding to leave, then?”

“No…” 

The redhead beamed at her. Finally, she could tell something interesting! 

“Her name's Martha. She-”

The Doctor exhaled. “Martha has chosen to leave when she wanted to. That's all there is to it,” he sighed.

Donna understood that has been a warning for her to stop talking, but nobody, not even the Spaceman, could stop her now.

“The Doctor thinks I shouldn't tell you, but I imagine you'd love to know!”

Rose's eyes travelled to the Doctor and back to Donna. 

_ You could always ask her to stop talking, Doctor. If it's something uncomfortable, you don't need to- _

The Time Lord shook his head.  _ Nothing of the sort. _

“So, as I was saying… From what I could gather, this Martha must have had a serious crush on your Doctor.”

Rose paled. Donna realised she should shorten the story greatly.

“However, he couldn't stop talking about you. His idolised Rose Tyler. Long story short - Martha has run out of patience, her efforts to charm him always equally pointless… So, she left.”

Rose exhaled. “Oh.”

The alien wrapped his arms around her. “I wouldn't dare to think what could be happening, had both you and Martha been on board,” he blushed, shuddering.

“Is the Spaceman always so full of himself, or is it only because you're here, Rose?”

Rose giggled. “Most of the time, he likes seeing himself like someone everyone adores.”

“No, Rose! You are the only one everyone should adore, trust me!” The Doctor assured her passionately.

Donna gulped. “Is this why you have been keeping her to yourself? To make sure she's only yours to adore?”

Rose backed away from the Doctor. These ordinary words, uttered so plainly, have reminded her of what she's been made to go through.

“I- I need to go.” She was not going to cry. Not in front of them. Trusting the TARDIS blindly, she followed the way the old girl has been showing her. Imagining the door right in front of her has been the one to her room, she allowed her tears to fall freely.


End file.
